


Our Blooming Days

by soobiscuits



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, if your teeth falls out bcs of the fluff it's not my fault kay, married!chansoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 23:53:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15107387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soobiscuits/pseuds/soobiscuits
Summary: Love blooms in the strangest and least expected of ways. Or at least it is to Chanyeol after meeting Kyungsoo.





	Our Blooming Days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CrazyPillow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyPillow/gifts).



> Happy birthday to my personal cheerleader, Isa! Tis a gift for you, sweetheart! Bet you never expected your prompt suggestion to ever be written within this year but here it is! Fleshed out and stuffed with fluff, fluff, and fluff. AND MORE FLUFF. I swear y'all ain't gonna get fluffy chansoo for the rest of the year. (I'm not kidding. Or am I...?) Anyway, have a blessed day ahead, dear friend, and I hope you'll enjoy this! ILY <3
> 
>  
> 
> To everyone else, I hope y'all enjoy this too!

Chanyeol comes home to the familiar aroma of takoyaki.

 

He slips off his dress shoes, a smile spreading across his face when he places them next to a smaller but identical pair. The size difference is endearing, and the smile on Chanyeol's face grows fond. Straightening, he inhales deeply (much like an overgrown pup [in his husband's words]), and Chanyeol follows the aroma and the tell-tale sizzling sounds to the kitchen. A small figure is bustling within.

 

Hugging his work bag to his chest, Chanyeol leans on the doorframe as he fixes his gaze on the person, eyes raking up and down. He takes in an oversized tee (his) draped on a small body, its hem barely covering a pair of boxers (his, too). Chanyeol drags his eyes up, rests them on the back of the person's head. A tuft of hair is sticking up adorably; Chanyeol bites back a chuckle.

 

He would have been perfectly content to watch the figure go about on his business, but it has been a rather tough day at work, and although he kind of wants many things—smiles, laughter, kisses—the one thing that he _needs_ is actually a hug. And so, Chanyeol sets out to get one.

 

He quietly approaches the person, hands naughtily slipping under the hem of the oversized shirt, rucking it up, before arms circle the person's waist without hesitation. Chanyeol's fingers easily find their usual positions at both sides, fingertips lightly pressing into soft flesh. Chanyeol smiles; he adores his husband’s soft tummy.

 

"Good evening," he murmurs, tone lilting. He buries his face into the crook of the person's neck and inhales. Mm, earthy. Chanyeol loves it whenever his husband wears the cologne he gifted to him two years ago. He resists the urge to stick out his tongue, to _lick_. “How was my wonderful husband today? Did he miss me?”

 

The person continues to flip the squid balls silently, as though he hasn’t heard Chanyeol’s greeting and questions. Chanyeol immediately pouts, fingers tightening their grip on soft, pliable flesh. “Soo! Why chu ignoring me!”

 

Silence. Chanyeol’s pout grows, and so does his petulance. “Do Kyungsoo!" he growls. "You asked for it!”

 

But before Chanyeol could even _do_ anything, a loud _clang_ of metal against metal effectively stops him. And what follows is a clear indication that Chanyeol _indeed should not_ embark on what he has planned (which is actually nothing because sometimes Chanyeol is all bark and no bite).

 

"What did I say about bothering me when I'm cooking."

 

Chanyeol gulps, hands reluctantly peeling themselves away from the warm body he very much wishes to touch, lips distancing themselves from the cheeks he desperately _needs_ to kiss. His husband's no-nonsense tone never fails to cause Chanyeol to move accordingly (but usually against his wishes), his mind unable to control his body's movements. Chanyeol swears that his husband owns a remote control to his mind and body (and heart and soul).

 

"Now, go wash up. Dinner will be ready soon."

 

Chanyeol hums an acknowledgment, tone clearly unhappy. He picks up his work bag, which he has abandoned at the door, and is about to step out of the kitchen when–

 

"Good evening, Yeol."

 

Chanyeol pauses at the door.

 

"I've missed you, the entire day."

 

He fights the grin that threatens to split his face.

 

"Did you... miss me, too?"

 

Chanyeol loses the fight spectacularly. The grin wins.

 

"Of course, I did, sweetheart. How could I not have missed you?"

 

 

\---

 

 

_"One plate of takoyaki, please. Thank you."_

_A voice travels through the flap even before it opens and—ever the curious one—Chanyeol looks up from his own plate, cheeks bulging from having just stuffed two squid balls into his mouth. He sees a figure clad entirely in black entering, wisps of white appearing in front of the person's face after hearing a noisy exhale. The wisps clear seconds later as the entrant sidles up next to Chanyeol, the fabric of their winter jackets rustling loudly upon contact. Chanyeol manages to get a good look at the person and is immediately stunned. He doesn't realise that he's_ staring _until he makes out a hand waving in front of his face._

_"Hey, you alright?" The person asks. "Did I disturb you?"_

_Chanyeol finally snaps out of whatever daze he got himself into, and reluctantly tears his eyes away from a pair of ~~pretty~~ lips to focus on the person's eyes instead. Big mistake. For the person's eyes are the largest, roundest, and most beautiful eyes Chanyeol has ever seen and_ oh my god I want to die _._

_Fortunately (or unfortunately), he doesn't. Instead, Chanyeol hastily swallows the takoyaki in his mouth and—_ thank goodness for not choking _—replies, "Uh. No– Nope! You didn't disturb me or anything. I was just..."_

 

Just staring at you ~~(like a creep)~~ because you're rather... good-looking.

 

_The person doesn't say anything in reply. Just nods and smiles._

_And Chanyeol's attention is instantly captured by the pair of pretty lips once more, eyes unabashedly dropping to where a heart has formed. Wisps of white appear again, momentarily obscuring the person's lips but Chanyeol has seen enough. The lovely shade of pink that colours the heart-shaped lips has him gulping._

_"Here's your tako, Kyungsoo!"_

_The stall's owner suddenly chirps, and he extends an arm over the cooking racks to hand a plate full of squid balls to the person. Ever the curious one, and with another two squid balls in his mouth, Chanyeol darts his eyes over to see the interaction. The person—Kyungsoo, according to Mr Kim—reaches out with a hand of his own. His hand looks... small. Adorably small. Chanyeol unconsciously looks down at his own hand, fingers slowly spreading apart. He wonders about the size difference._

_"Thank you, Mr Kim."_

_At the voice, Chanyeol looks up. Fortunately (or unfortunately), he's in time to see a smile spreading across Kyungsoo's face. Chanyeol inexplicably gulps._

_"You're welcome, Kyungsoo," Mr Kim replies, a smile on his face as well. "Ah, today is such a wonderful day. Two of my favourite regulars finally eating in my stall at the same time."_

_Chanyeol stops chewing, blinks at Mr Kim. Then, he turns to face the other 'regular', only to find that Kyungsoo is facing him as well._

_"You're a regular, too!?"_

_"You're a regular, too?"_

_The simultaneous and identical questions cause Chanyeol to burst out laughing, but he stops moments later when he registers another bout of laughter. It's deep, mellow, and although Chanyeol is only hearing this for the first time, he finds himself inexplicably liking it._

_The laughter comes from Kyungsoo._

_Despite the increasingly_ strong _urge to whip out his phone and record the absolutely beautiful (in Chanyeol's words), Chanyeol tightly grips his chopsticks instead, and manages to say, "How have I not seen you before! And I'm practically here twenty-four-seven– Wait, that's not it. I'm not here– I mean–"_

_He's rambling. Uncontrollably rambling. Sehun is right—Chanyeol really has no brain-to-mouth filter._

_"I–_ Anyway! _What I meant was that I'm here often, so I'm surprised to not have seen you at all before. Not that I, uh, want to see you around– I mean, I do! I do want to see you– Wait, that's not what I meant either!"_

_His mouth_ finally _shuts up. After thoroughly embarrassing its owner. Chanyeol is going to_ kill _himself after this._

_That low, mellow laughter fills the tako stall again. Then, as Chanyeol grips his chopsticks super tightly once more and pretends that he has no phone to record pretty sounds with, Kyungsoo says, "I get what you mean, so stop talking. You're getting your saliva all over our food."_

_Chanyeol's eyes immediately blow wide. "Shit, I'm so sorry," he apologises. Setting his chopsticks down on his almost-empty plate, Chanyeol shoves his hands into his jacket pockets to retrieve his wallet. "Let me get you a new plate. Mr K–"_

_"It's alright, you don't have to do that."_

_Chanyeol stops rummaging in his pockets, looks up at Kyungsoo. "But..."_

_"It's really okay." A smile blooms on Kyungsoo's face, and Chanyeol makes out a heart at where his lips are; it's... cute. "I ingest other people's saliva all the time." A pause. Kyungsoo's entire face freezes. Then, it collapses into that of an embarrassed expression. "Wait, that came out wrong."_

_A laugh that's neither Chanyeol nor Kyungsoo's rings out in the awkward silence of the takoyaki stall. It's Mr Kim's. "I didn't think that you were someone like_ that _, Kyungsoo," he says, a smirk on his wizened, wrinkled face._

_"Mr Kim!" Kyungsoo squawks, and Chanyeol has to bite back a coo because—_ goddammit _—he finds himself inexplicably liking how effortlessly adorable this other regular is._

_"Alright, alright. I didn't mean to tease you, Kyungsoo." Mr Kim chuckles. "Eh, Chanyeol, don't be mistaken about Kyungsoo okay! He's actually a real nice boy who– Oh! Who incidentally studies at the same university as you do!"_

_Chanyeol barely avoids biting his tongue when he blurts out, "Really!?"_

_Expression somewhat impassive, Kyungsoo just shrugs. "I'm in accountancy." He takes a bite of his squid ball. "You?"_

_"Engineering," Chanyeol instantly answers. The corners of his lips are already rising to his eyes, his teeth on display for all to see. "And hey, I have a friend in accountancy too! I wonder if you know h–"_

_A shrill sound suddenly rings out, interrupting Chanyeol. Kyungsoo digs into his jacket pockets, and a phone appears in one of his hands. He answers the call, his impassive expression dissolving into furrowed brows and a frown. Chanyeol clenches his fists, preventing them from doing unexplainable things (such as easing apart brows and lifting downturned corners of ~~pretty~~ lips)._

_"Sorry, I have to be on my way." Kyungsoo suddenly stands, pocketing his phone. "Mr Kim, could you pack my remaining tako? Thank you, and here–" He hands a couple of notes to Mr Kim. "It's for the takoyaki. As always, it was delicious, Mr Kim."_

_Then, as soon as Mr Kim gives him his packed squid balls, Kyungsoo thanks the elderly man, opens the flap and steps out of the stall. He doesn't say anything to Chanyeol. No goodbye. Nothing._

_And Chanyeol watches the flap shut, a_ goodbye Kyungsoo _left unsaid at the tip of his tongue._

 

 

\---

 

 

Chanyeol is sulky.

 

 _Has_ been sulky since Kyungsoo threw a white dress shirt at his face and told him to put it on. And, although he didn't want to, who was Chanyeol to decline his husband? So, he did, but Chanyeol refused to complete the deed, leaving the last button of his dress shirt unbuttoned. A small act of defiance...

 

…that has Kyungsoo glaring at him but unable to do anything about because Chanyeol is swinging his arms in a circle around him. He's (childishly) creating a protection circle of sorts, to keep Kyungsoo and his fingers away from him. Chanyeol’s pretty sure that his husband’s fingers are itching to get that last button of his buttoned. Well, that's not happening.

 

And neither is Chanyeol going out for dinner.

 

Kyungsoo sighs, goes back to facing their shared wardrobe. "We're _going_ ," he says, as though he just read Chanyeol's mind (which isn't impossible). "You're going to get that last button done before we step out of here." Kyungsoo picks out two similar pairs of washed blue jeans—one ripped, the other not—and turns around. He holds them up. "Pick one."

 

"I don't wanna!"

 

His response earns himself a hit to the head with denim. Chanyeol stops swinging his arms and paws it off his face. He looks at it. It's the ripped pair. _Good choice_ , Chanyeol immediately thinks, mentally applauding his husband's fashion sense. Only to freeze seconds later when he realises that he's fallen into Kyungsoo's... trap (probably). He looks down at his (no-longer swinging) arms. Drats.

 

"It's your _best_ friend's birthday, Yeol,” Kyungsoo points out. He's suddenly in front of Chanyeol, fingers already reaching for that last unbuttoned button before Chanyeol can register anything. And as he helplessly watches his husband knock down his small act of defiance (not that it would ever have worked out in the first place), arms falling uselessly to his sides, Chanyeol sees the expression on Kyungsoo's face. It is, unfortunately, an expression that Chanyeol identifies as a mixture of _sighs what do I do with you_ and _what did I do to deserve this_.

 

(The identification comes easily to Chanyeol because he has received such expressions one too many times throughout their years of being together. And while he's [usually] not one to brag, Chanyeol prides himself on being able to identify most of Kyungsoo's facial expressions. He's particularly adept at recognising the, um, slightly _negative_ ones that appear whenever he does something [inappropriate] around Kyungsoo.)

 

Chanyeol suddenly feels miffed. When Kyungsoo is done with his button, he steps away from his husband, plopping down onto their bed, wanting to fold his arms across his chest only to find that he's still holding onto his jeans. Chanyeol huffily throws it onto the floor. The (unfortunate) pair of jeans land on the parquet with a _thump_.

 

Kyungsoo cocks a brow.

 

Pretending to not have seen that, Chanyeol just simply says, "Oh Sehun can do one birthday without me." He brings up his legs, hesitating a little before planting his slippered feet on the comforter. Chanyeol pointedly avoids looking in Kyungsoo's direction, sure that his husband's face holds a disapproving expression because _how many times have I told you to always remove your slippers before getting into bed Park Chanyeol_.

 

He goes on, continues to say, "It's not as though I haven't celebrated his birthday with him for the past–" Chanyeol gets stumped, and he slowly unfolds his arms as he tries to recall the exact number. "For the past– Uh. Past..." Forgetting that he isn't supposed to give his husband any attention, Chanyeol looks up at Kyungsoo. “Uh, how many years has it been, Soo?”

 

Kyungsoo’s expression, according to Chanyeol’s immediate identification, says _aiyowei what should I do with you sweetheart_. Or, in proper English: fondly exasperated.

 

He walks right up to Chanyeol with that _fondly exasperated_ expression of his, and Chanyeol barely manages to swallow a purr when Kyungsoo begins to thread his fingers through his hair. His eyes flutter shut, corners of his lips curling upwards in pleasure.

 

“Twenty-four." Chanyeol hears Kyungsoo answer. "You've celebrated twenty-four birthdays with Sehun." A pause. Then, Chanyeol suddenly receives a light knock on his head as he hears his husband continue, "What’s in this noggin of yours, huh, Yeol?”

 

Kyungsoo's knock to his head isn't painful, but Chanyeol just _loves_ to make a show of everything. He lifts his head, lips parting. But before he can let out a(n exaggerated) wail, Chanyeol makes the mistake of looking at Kyungsoo. His husband's stoic expression and impressive brows promptly thwart his plan. Chanyeol's mouth (obediently) clamps itself shut.

 

Dammit, Do Kyungsoo and his– his– _his ways_.

 

Fine. Plan B.

 

"My noggin's full of you of course!” exclaims Chanyeol as he suddenly grabs onto Kyungsoo, ignoring his husband's surprised yelp to pull him forward and manhandle him onto his lap. Chanyeol then quickly wraps his arms around his husband, needing to encase Kyungsoo before he begins to process what's happening and starts resisting.

 

Chanyeol also laces his fingers with Kyungsoo's— _gotta prevent those itchy fingers from doing anything!_ —and his palms fully engulf the back of his husband's (oh-so-adorably small) hands. The gentle _clink_ of their wedding bands almost causes Chanyeol to be distracted, but he tears his eyes away from the pieces of silver to continue saying, "Imagine what we can do if we don't go, Soo! We could order pizza and garlic bread, switch on the TV, get some pillows, jump onto the couch and cuddle while watching, and when we're sleepy we'll just fall asleep in each other's arms and–"

 

"And risk being slaughtered by your best friend and your best friend's boy _friends_."

 

Chanyeol's mouth was open, but he closes it. Then reopens it... only to shut it again a moment later because although he wants to resume his "speech", Kyungsoo's unconvinced tone stops him. Chanyeol starts to feel miffed again.

 

Yet, his face doesn't betray any inner turmoil. Chanyeol only has to suppress the urge to bite— _yes, bite_ —the pretty, pretty neck that his husband is unknowingly exposing to him. _Of course_ , Chanyeol doesn't bite. Instead, he forces himself to feel cheery as he chirps, "I will never understand why one needs to have two lovers when having one is perfectly more than enough." And to make a point, Chanyeol dips his head down to nuzzle Kyungsoo's neck. He then noses his way up to an ear, lips parting to mouth along the lobe. He smirks when he feels Kyungsoo shudder.

 

Teasing his husband is Chanyeol's favourite pastime (no one tell Kyungsoo that), and even though he usually loses in their verbal showdowns, Chanyeol always emerges victorious in _non-verbal_ ones. Hell forbid him to let slip _any_ chance to win Do Kyungsoo. Therefore, it's no surprise when Chanyeol darts his tongue out, its tip lightly touching the skin of Kyungsoo's ear. He slowly drags his tongue along the helix, before dipping into the swirl and tracing it, leaving behind a thin sheen of saliva.

 

Chanyeol moves his tongue downwards. He laps at Kyungsoo's earlobe, takes it into his mouth, suckles it. And although Chanyeol is concentrating on what he's doing, he can hear clearly how heavy Kyungsoo is breathing. The ragged breaths of his husband are amplified in the silence of their bedroom and _god_ do they sound fucking hot in his own ears. Chanyeol wants _more_. He wants wants _wants_ , but a sudden shudder from Kyungsoo sends his mind wandering, leading Chanyeol to randomly recall Kyungsoo having once mentioned offhandedly (after having completed a bedtime _activity_ ) that his tongue has a rough texture.

 

 

("Like ribbed condoms?" Chanyeol blurted out.

 

Kyungsoo immediately rapped his [frustratingly straightforward] husband hard on the head...

 

… only to agree a moment later with a whispered _yes, like ribbed condoms_.

 

Chanyeol then proceeded to eat his [fucking adorably hot] husband out that night.)

 

 

So now, as he hears Kyungsoo's pants, drinks in the way shades of pink prettily paint Kyungsoo's cheeks, neck, and collarbones, Chanyeol can't help but imagine how his tongue feels. How it feels on skin. How _rough_ it is.

 

How it's making Kyungsoo _feel_.

 

Chanyeol finally finds it in himself to leave Kyungsoo's ear, releasing his husband's earlobe after a playful, gentle bite. His lips begin to make their way onto Kyungsoo's face and Chanyeol greedily mouths at everything, that _rough_ tongue of his laving at every inch of smooth skin that it comes across. He's sure that Kyungsoo's going to throw a fit at the amount of saliva on his face, but Chanyeol _can't help it_. His husband is in his arms right now, and all he can think about is _Kyungsoo Kyungsoo Kyungsoo_.

 

_Soo._

 

Lips finally meet, but Chanyeol bursts out into laughter when he hears the exasperated _fucking finally_ Kyungsoo murmurs against his lips. He pulls away, guffawing as he throws his head back. Chanyeol doesn't know why he's laughing this hard, why he finds what Kyungsoo did funny. Chanyeol does, however, see himself forced to stop moments later when he receives one of his husband's Very Impressive glare, those beautiful, beautiful eyes of his burning with an emotion that he is all-too-familiar with.

 

And it sets him aflame, too.

 

"Impatient, aren't we." A smirk easily makes its way onto Chanyeol's face. He edges it closer to Kyungsoo's. Closer, closer, _closer_. Until the distance between their lips is barely non-existent. Chanyeol _purrs_.

 

"C'mere, kitty _kitty_."

 

And Chanyeol would have moved. Would have fallen back onto their bed with his husband in his arms. Would have flipped their positions, dragged Kyungsoo's hands above his head, trapping them there with their still-laced fingers, wedding bands gently clinking in the sweetest sounds of eternal promise. Would have rendered Kyungsoo breathless with his Very Impressive kissing skill (in Chanyeol's own opinion).

 

He would have done all that if not for the soft soft _soft_ (but fucking delicious and sultry) sound that Kyungsoo purrs in return.

 

“ _Meow_.”

 

The sound stuns Chanyeol. It sends him into a daze, his senses shutting down until all he registers is his husband’s laughing face. The shades of pink are back, once again prettily painting his handsome countenance, rendering the view in front of Chanyeol so, so, _so very_ beautiful.

 

It’s a recurring word, _beautiful_. Chanyeol knows that he's been using this word far too many times but what else is he to say, what other words _can_ he use to describe Kyungsoo? Chanyeol isn’t one to wax poetic—not when his languages always have been mediocre in all his years of schooling—but when facing his husband, he finds himself inexplicably wanting to. To speak of Kyungsoo’s beauty, his kindness, his warmth, and even his down-to-earth, pragmatic personality. He wants to tell everyone just how amazing his husband is, and how fucking lucky he is to be _the chosen one_. The one whom Kyungsoo selected to spend the rest of his life with.

 

"Kitty is here," Kyungsoo murmurs, his thick, husky voice pulling Chanyeol out of his reverie and his husband's dark, hooded eyes instantly attract Chanyeol's attention.

 

"So, what are you waiting for, _master_?"

 

 

("I think having two lovers will be... fun."

 

"Huh!?"

 

"Look at Xing. Or Baekhyun, or Sehun. They're so sweet and loving to one another. It makes me consider wanting to have another boyfriend because, think about it, that means we'd be loved by two persons instead of one. And simple math tells us that more is good."

 

"… Soo..."

 

"That tall dude from your floor—Yifan, was it—seems nice. He lets me eat from his stash of almonds all the time whenever I'm there."

 

"I– Wha– I-I didn't know that– Wait, I mean– No! No! No way am I sharing you with anyone! No no no no _no_!! Never!!! Over my dead body!"

 

"Mm, should I kill you then?"

 

"… You– You'd kill me to get another lover, Do Kyungsoo..."

 

"Of course not. Having two lovers are going to be so troublesome; just look at how Baekhyun and Sehun crush poor Xing in their arms all the time. And, besides, I love you way too much to kill you. How could I bear to get another lover when all I need is you, Yeol."

 

"… How– How can you just suddenly say such things like that without even blushing..."

 

"Because there's nothing to feel embarrassed about. I _do_ love you, even if I don't say it often."

 

"Okay... I love you, too, y'know, Soo. Even if I say it _all the time_."

 

"I know. Now, let's get out of bed before _your_ best friend and _my_ best friend and their boyfriend decide to kill us for being this late.")

 

 

\---

 

 

_Chanyeol can hardly believe his eyes._

_"K-Kyungsoo?"_

_Kyungsoo smiles. "Hey... Um... Uh–" His smile falters._

_Although saddened by how Kyungsoo seems to have forgotten his name, Chanyeol tries hard to keep his own smile from faltering. He attempts to intercept, "It's C–"_

_"–Chanyeol!" Kyungsoo suddenly blurts out. "Chanyeol, right?"_

_"You could have called him any name and this bumbling fool would still say 'yes'." A monotonous voice pipes up._

_Chanyeol immediately turns to glare at Sehun, snaking a hand over to his thigh before pinching him_ hard _. His best friend's yelp of pain is music to his ears. Though, his ears quickly find themselves another example. A_ better _example. An exemplary sound which Chanyeol reckons that he would remember for life._

_Kyungsoo's laughter is as Chanyeol remembered. Deep, mellow, and inexplicably attractive. And Chanyeol once again resists the urge to whip out his phone to record this beautiful sound. Instead, he waits for Kyungsoo to stop laughing before saying, "Yeah, I'm Chanyeol." Then, an afterthought. "Surprised to see you here, though."_

_"I'm surprised to see you here, too," replies Kyungsoo, a set of pretty, white teeth peeking through a pair of heart-shaped lips. Chanyeol bites back a coo (an action he belatedly realises, much later, that he always does whenever Kyungsoo is around)._

_"You two... know each other?"_

_Chanyeol reluctantly tears his attention away from Kyungsoo to look at the person seated next to him, managing to catch a glimpse of a pair of sleepy-confused eyes before being distracted by Sehun who is nudging his leg under the table._

_"What?" Chanyeol silently mouths, cupping a hand around his mouth to prevent Kyungsoo and his friend from seeing._

_"Is he the one?" Sehun mouths back, his own hand cupping his mouth, too. "Is he tako boy?"_

_Tako boy. It's the moniker Chanyeol came up with for Kyungsoo because he didn't want to share with his best friend the name of the other regular he met on That Fateful Day._

 

_("Or endearment," Sehun had supplied after Chanyeol finished gushing about the big-eyed boy who patronises the tako stall. "I'm pretty sure you want to call him that_ _when y'all start dating. How romantic.")_

 

_Chanyeol wishes he could say no. He wants to keep Kyungsoo's name to himself a while longer, a secret that only he knows. But Chanyeol can't, not when Kyungsoo himself is saying, "Yep, met him at that tako stall I always eat at. He's a regular of Mr Kim, too."_

_At Kyungsoo's admission, Sehun smirks, and it looks downright evil. Chanyeol very much wants to stab his best friend's beady eyes. But he doesn't, because there's something he needs to do, needs to find out. And it's the reason why he acquiesced to Sehun's request—demand, really—to have afternoon tea together._

_"Uh, why are we gathered here?"_

_Chanyeol is pretty sure that his best friend has forgotten about whatever he wanted to do if the way his face (and the face of the person between him and Kyungsoo) suddenly lit up as though he received an epiphany (which isn't impossible, given Sehun's track record). But as quickly as Sehun's face brightened, it darkened just as fast and a neutral expression forms; Chanyeol notices how the corners of his best friend's lips are twitching, though._

_"Um, someone's late for this, but I'm just gonna say it– no,_ announce _it now anyway." Sehun suddenly straightens himself, as does the person seated next to him. He then continues to say, in a serious tone unbefitting of him, "We've gathered our best friends–"—Sehun gestures to Chanyeol while the person to Kyungsoo—"–here today to inform them of something important."_

_Chanyeol looks on in amusement, a snigger tickling at his throat as he watches his best friend trying hard not to smile even though the happiness and delight in his eyes are so painfully obvious. Truth be told, Chanyeol had already figured out the purpose of this meet-up. For the moment he stepped into the beverage joint and found the table where Sehun was seated at, Chanyeol had coincidentally witnessed the kiss Sehun had given to the person next to him. It doesn't take a genius to know that Sehun is more than friends with that person._

_And now that Chanyeol's assumption is finally about to be confirmed, he wants to bask in the glory (of how intelligent he is). He doesn't know why but he glances at Kyungsoo, wants to see if he, too, has figured this whole shenanigan ou–_

_Chanyeol suddenly does a double-take._

_"BEST FRIENDS?!"_

_His deafening screech garners the attention of the seven customers in the joint, curious and annoyed expressions thrown his way. Chanyeol smiles sheepishly, bowing his head in apology. He turns away from the last customer, returning his eyes to the occupants of his shared table, wanting to apologise to Kyungsoo and the person (whom Chanyeol still doesn't know the name of), only to be whacked on the head._

_"What was that for!" Chanyeol whimpers, hands rubbing at the spot where Sehun had hit._

_"And what were_ you _yelling at the top of your voice for!" Sehun angrily retorts, looking absolutely furious. His brows are furrowed, the corners of his lips no longer twitching but curling downwards into a scowl instead. As someone who's usually easy-going and rarely gets angry, Sehun's demeanour clearly tells Chanyeol that he is angry (with an uppercase a)._

_"I– I was just– Just–" Unaccustomed to being the recipient of his best friend's rage, Chanyeol stumbles over his words, not knowing what to say, what to do. He thinks he should first apologise, but the apologies just won't come out of his dumb, fumbling mouth. Can Chanyeol kill himself right there and then?_

_Thankfully, Kyungsoo saves the day. "If it helps, I didn't know that Sehun's best friend is Chanyeol."_

_Chanyeol immediately snaps his head to Kyungsoo, a grateful expression on his face. Unfortunately, Kyungsoo isn't looking his way. Instead, he's turning in the direction of the new voice. A new_ familiar _voice._

_"The world is tiny, huh," the voice chirps, its ever-familiar lilt travelling into Chanyeol's ears and he instantly feels blood draining from his face._ Oh god _, Chanyeol thinks, panic beginning to wash over him. No way._

_No fucking way._

_Baekhyun saunters into view, making his way to where Sehun is seated. A haversack drapes off one of his shoulder, held in place with a hand. The other hand is currently snaking across the chest of Kyungsoo's best friend (whom Chanyeol still doesn't know the name of), fingers dancing on collarbones before resting on a thin shoulder. Then, much to Chanyeol's utter horror and shock, Baekhyun dips his head down and kisses the cheeks of_ both _Sehun and Kyungsoo's friend._

_Chanyeol's head implodes._

_"How cool is it that my boyfriends and friends know one another!"_

 

 

\---

 

 

"I'm going to have to text Hyun on the restaurants he takes Hun and Yixing to."

 

"Why? Is the food not to your liking here?"

 

Chanyeol looks up from his bowl of udon. "Uh, no, I like it. It's just..." he says, hesitating.

 

"It's just that we've been going to this Japanese joint since forever and you're bored of always having udon and tempura," Kyungsoo pipes up. "Is that what you're trying to say?"

 

Chanyeol nods, only to suddenly yelp a second later when he realises the implication of his agreement. He quickly shakes his head and his hands (and by default the pair of chopsticks and spoon he's holding onto). "I don't– I don't mean to say that I'm bored of here! I just– I–" And, as with all these years whenever Kyungsoo is around him, Chanyeol starts to fumble over his words, his mouth just not functioning _as it should_. It has already been so many years, but Chanyeol's mouth still disappoints and embarrasses him. Ugh.

 

Yet, as with all these years whenever Chanyeol's mouth doesn't work, Kyungsoo somehow understands what he's trying to say. Then, he promptly saves the day.

 

"Are you worried that I'd be bored instead, Yeol?"

 

"… Yes," Chanyeol says, meekly, as he decides between looking away from his husband's searching gaze or maintaining eye contact because Kyungsoo's large and round eyes look so beautiful right now. Expectedly, Chanyeol chooses the latter, succumbing easily to one of the many habits that he grew to have after knowing Kyungsoo. Since discovering that he loves to gaze at Kyungsoo's pair of eyes, Chanyeol rarely gives up a chance to admire them when he can. His staring ( _"Gazing!" Chanyeol would argue._ ) has more than often earned Chanyeol himself rolls of eyes and light, painless whacks on the head. (And Kyungsoo's embarrassed expressions which are _so fucking adorable_.)

 

Kyungsoo puts his cutlery down on the table, and Chanyeol can't help but smile when his husband extends a hand from across the small table and gently cups Chanyeol's face; Chanyeol wastes no time in turning his face to nuzzle Kyungsoo's palm. He inhales, smiling even wider, _fonder_ when he smells his peach-scented hand lotion which he had applied on his husband's hands an hour ago.

 

"Sweetheart..."

 

"It's not fair!" Chanyeol suddenly exclaims, startling Kyungsoo whose hand would have left Chanyeol's face if not for the hand that Chanyeol places over. "It's not fair to you that your best friend gets to go to all those restaurants that Hyun and Hun bring him to and have delicious foods while you're stuck with the same ol' soba and tempura that you've been having at this hole-in-the-wall eatery for years..."

 

Chanyeol most definitely _did not_ expect himself to tear up but somehow tears are welling in his eyes, and he's starting to feel sad...? _What even_ , he thinks as he swipes at his eyes because he had dumbly blinked, dislodging the tears and causing them to roll down his cheeks. Absorbed in wiping his tears and in wondering _why the heck am I suddenly sad_ , Chanyeol doesn't register that he's using _Kyungsoo's_ hand to clean as well, having evidently forgotten that he's holding it.

 

He only realises it when he's stopped wiping, suddenly feeling the sensation of fingers slipping between the gaps of his own and familiar, light heat pressing against the back of his hand. Chanyeol looks down at that hand, and he immediately breaks into a smile when he sees that his hand is entwined with Kyungsoo's. And Chanyeol would have been perfectly content to keep looking at their hands (while internally gushing at how adorably small Kyungsoo's hand is in his) if not for a clearing of throat that Chanyeol manages to hear over the din of the busy joint that they're in.

 

"I don't have to be brought to many restaurants," Kyungsoo begins to say. "I don't need to eat delicious foods–"

 

Chanyeol cocks a brow at that, silently questioning how genuine those words are. He barely manages to stifle a bark of laughter when Kyungsoo gets his husband’s message and starts flapping his free hand in the air, his flustered expression simply adorable. "I-I mean— _what is with that smile Park Chanyeol_ —I don't need to have _extremely_ delicious foods at cheap or expensive places, nor do I need to travel out of the city to eat at those outdoorsy, full-of-bugs eateries.

 

"All I need– All I need–" Suddenly, Kyungsoo stops talking. His mouth is open, but no words are coming out of it. His brows are furrowing, the glint in his eyes fading, while the corners of his pretty heart-shaped lips are curling downwards. Kyungsoo is hesitating, unsure, uncertain. And Chanyeol notices all that. He then decides that, for once, he should save the day.

 

Chanyeol’s going to be Kyungsoo's hero this time.

 

"All I need is you to have meals with, _too_ , Soo."

 

It must be what Kyungsoo has thought of and wanted to say (but is probably too embarrassed to, given his character), for the small smile that adorns his face is just beautiful, and Chanyeol can't help but smile too.

 

 

(He also can't help but lean over to plant a kiss on his husband's pretty lips, not in the least bothered by the numerous pairs of eyes that suddenly look their way.

 

A clearly-bothered Kyungsoo thinks otherwise, but Chanyeol still chortles even as he receives a pinch on the back of his hand for his mischief.)

 

 

\---

 

 

 _Chanyeol wishes that a hole would open in front of him so that he can jump in and_ never emerge ever again.

 

 _“Really, Yeol,” Baekhyun tuts, a finger waggling in front of his unimpressed face. “Of all places to bring us for lunch, you just_ had to _pick the joint where Soo works at.”_

 

Soo…? How is Baekhyun already on a closer-than-first-name basis with S– Kyungsoo??

 

 _Out of the words that Baekhyun spoke, Chanyeol’s brain just_ had to _(unhelpfully) pick out that (most useless) piece of information, amplify it, and play it in his head over and over. And as the (broken) recording goes on and on, Chanyeol can’t help but find himself seeing and feeling yellow, then orange, and is about to have his vision filled with red and a hint of green when a now-familiar voice abruptly splashes a warm, soothing brown over him._

_“It’s alright, Baekhyun. Chanyeol didn’t know.”_

_Although the rich brown in Chanyeol’s eyes gradually fade away into colours as he directs his attention to the owner of the voice, the warmth that came with it doesn’t leave. It envelopes him in its soft, gentle heat, and Chanyeol himself doesn’t know when it happened, but somehow, in one way or another, the warmth has already rooted itself in his heart. It surfaces at the most spontaneous of times (usually when Chanyeol is unconsciously thinking of Kyungsoo) and quietly spreads its soothing heat throughout Chanyeol's body without him even realising until the deed is done; Chanyeol finds that his face is usually the warmest, cheeks flushed hotly._

_It seems that Kyungsoo's warmth is now living inside of him (which is darn strange). And Chanyeol never wants it to leave._

_Kyungsoo’s face sharpens into high definition when Chanyeol’s eyes finally reach their destination, the small smile on his face looking good (and adorable, as always). Expectedly, Chanyeol can’t help but smile, too. And he would have continued to smile at Kyungsoo like that if not for_ the _voice whose owner Chanyeol very much wishes he could drag down together with him into the hole._

_"Let's go elsewhere," Baekhyun suggests, jerking a thumb towards the door. "Let's leave before they realise that we're gone."_

_Sehun whacks him on the head at the same time Yixing does, and Chanyeol doesn't bother to stop himself from rolling his eyes when Baekhyun yelps in (mock) pain and slaps on his infamous puppy look in an attempt to guilt-trip his boyfriends. (It works,_ duh _, and both Yixing and Sehun are pacifying him within seconds.)_

_"You do realise that my colleagues have seen me," deadpans Kyungsoo. His facial expression is impassive, as though oblivious to the public display of affection by their disgustingly-in-love friends. "So, if it's okay with everyone, let's just eat here because we don't have time to go to another place." Then, a thoughtful pause before Kyungsoo leans in and whispers, "I'll get us discounts."_

_It's hilarious, the way everyone's faces immediately light up at Kyungsoo's words, and Chanyeol would have laughed out loud if he wasn't attracted to how a corner of Kyungsoo's lips are slowly curling upwards. The resulting smirk renders Chanyeol speechless, his breath hitching and lodging in his throat._ Oh god, that's hot _, he thinks._ Why is Kyungsoo so fucking hot.

 

_Unfortunately, Chanyeol's thoughts aren't only in his brain. And he only knows that he's voiced them out (because Chanyeol was so enraptured by Kyungsoo's rare display of pride) when he receives a pinch on his thigh and a disgusted look from Sehun as Sehun whispers, "Fucking keep your thoughts to yourself, please."_

_Thankfully, Chanyeol discovers that no one else seems to have heard his slip-up, and he forces himself to stop staring at Kyungsoo, lest he does things that he’ll most definitely regret._

_From where he’s smothered by head rubs from Yixing (Chanyeol had finally found out his name), Baekhyun chirps, “And while you’re at it, could you grace us with your superb kimchi spaghetti,_ Chef _Do?”_

_At that unexpected snippet of information, Chanyeol feels his jaw slowly dropping, surprise seeping into him._ Kyungsoo... cooks?! Why didn’t I… know?

 

_And Chanyeol suddenly feels like a stranger in the group. He may know Baekhyun and Sehun, and a little of both Kyungsoo and Yixing, but it seems that the four of them have known one another longer. Despite being friends with Kyungsoo for months now, meeting up for occasional lunches and study sessions (with at least one of the others, of course), Chanyeol feels that he really doesn't know anything about Kyungsoo at all. Even though Chanyeol knows, deep down, that he shouldn't compare himself with his other friends, he can't help it._

_Kyungsoo is his friend. And yet he knows close to nothing about him. It’s hard not to be ashamed, but Chanyeol is. He’s ashamed at himself. Ashamed for not knowing things about the person he has feelings for._

_Three months. Three months were all it took for Chanyeol to develop feelings for his new friend. To realise that he likes Kyungsoo. That he might even grow to love the other regular who patronises his favourite takoyaki stall._

_Chanyeol doesn’t know why he thought about loving Kyungsoo. He also doesn’t know that he’s being called until—yes, once again—Sehun pinches his thigh and Chanyeol yelps loudly in pain._

_“What was that for!?”_

_Sehun rolls his eyes. “Kyungsoo was asking you if you’d like your kimchi spaghetti to be less spicy than ours, but you were spacing out.” Then, he lowers down to a whisper, “Somehow he knows that you don’t take spicy very well.”_

_Chanyeol is floored. He’s pretty sure that he hasn’t once shared with Kyungsoo about his low tolerance for spiciness and hearing what Sehun just said, it seems that he hasn’t asked any of his friends either. Kyungsoo just… knew._

_A smile spreads across his face, even as Sehun pinches him on the thigh_ once more _for “smiling creepily”._

 

 

\---

 

 

"Oh no. I took Soo’s lunchbox by mistake."

 

Jongdae looks up from his own homemade lunch, a beansprout hanging out of his mouth. “How can you tell that this is Soo’s? Aren't both of yours the same, kimchi spag?" He gives Chanyeol a grateful smile after his friend pulls the vegetable out of his mouth, and hands him his water bottle when Chanyeol starts fanning his mouth.

 

"Mine’s less spicy than his is,” Chanyeol answers, opening his water bottle and bringing it up to his slightly-burning lips. He sips from it. Once. Twice. “And we all know how Soo loves his chillies.”

 

“How does one even think using an entire packet of chilli powder for kimchi jjigae is a-okay is beyond me.”

 

Chanyeol raps Jongdae on the head. “Oi, this is my husband you’re talking about. I will not stand for such baseless accusations.”

 

Jongdae immediately slaps a deadpanned expression on his face. “Yeol, your sister went to the _hospital_ after having that jjigae. And, apart from Soo, she’s the next person I know to have the best tolerance for spiciness.”

 

Chanyeol knows when it’s his loss, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to _surrender_. He quickly looks away from Jongdae's smirk, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his friend's smugness. “Well, nice talking to you, Dae," Chanyeol says, his hands grabbing the lunchbox lid and placing it back on, fingers locking it with sounds of _clack clack clack_. "But I best be off.”

 

"You're abandoning me!? Remind me to _never_ have lunch with you ever again." Jongdae frowns, huffily shoving a spoonful of rice and bean sprout soup into his mouth. He glares up at Chanyeol when the taller man playfully tousles his hair.

 

"Sorry," Chanyeol quickly apologises. He picks up Kyungsoo's lunchbox. "But I can't let my sweetheart starve now, can I?"

 

"Soo won't starve when he has your spaghetti, you ass!" Jongdae exclaims as Chanyeol dashes off towards the lift lobby. "You just want to have an excuse to see him!"

 

 _Well, can’t disagree with that_ , Chanyeol thinks as he presses on the 'up' button.

 

The lift arrives moments later. It goes up four storeys, and Chanyeol steps out on the 16th floor.

 

He immediately makes a beeline to a cubicle and upon reaching it, props an elbow on top of a makeshift wall. Chanyeol slaps on his most attractive smile. "Why, _hello_ , Joohyun. Fancy still seeing y–"

 

"Kyungsoo just went down," Joohyun interrupts without preamble and without looking up from the file she seems to be reading. It is as though she has been expecting Chanyeol. "Said something about taking your lunchbox by mistake."

 

Chanyeol sucks in a sharp breath. _Shit. We missed each other._

 

"Well, okay, thanks. I'm just gonna... go..." Chanyeol makes a gesture, elbow sliding off the cubicle wall as he motions towards the lift lobby. He does that for a couple of seconds before realising that Joohyun _still_ isn't looking at him. Chanyeol awkwardly puts down his hands, purses his lips. He makes a move to step away, only to turn back when he hears his husband's colleague call him.

 

"You should wait here," Joohyun says as Chanyeol peers into her cubicle. She's still reading that file, her blue highlighter drawing across several numbers and words. "Kyungsoo will probably come back up after realising that you aren't in your department. You going back down will only waste time."

 

"Uh," Chanyeol replies intelligently.

 

"Or, you could always call him."

 

There's a lilt in her voice. And when Joohyun finally lifts her head, the small, gentle smile on her face throws Chanyeol off. The fondness that suddenly adorns her facial features leaves him speechless. "I always have to call my scatterbrain of a husband too whenever he forgets to take his lunch from me."

 

The image of Joohyun chiding while handing a lunchbox to a flustered Bogum—whom coincidentally works on Chanyeol's floor—surfaces in Chanyeol's head, and he almost let slip a snicker. Thankfully, he bites down on his lower lip. Chanyeol forgets to stop his other his facial features from betraying his amusement though, and he earns himself a light smack on the arm when Joohyun see his rising cheekbones.

 

“How could you laugh at your colleague, you!”

 

“Says the person who's laughing, too!”

 

“He's _my_ husband! I'm allowed to,” huffs Joohyun.

 

“What are you allowed to, Joohyun?”

 

At the sudden intrusion of a third voice, both Chanyeol and Joohyun snap their heads in the direction. Chanyeol's face instantly brightens. “Soo!”

 

Kyungsoo is walking towards them, a familiar-looking lunchbox in his hands. There's a small, fond smile on his face. “Hey.”

 

Chanyeol doesn't waste _any_ time. He strides forward, eagerly meeting his husband halfway, and his arms reflexively wrap around Kyungsoo. The hug is a little uncomfortable, what with a lunchbox prodding his tummy, but Chanyeol doesn't mind. He actually _loves_ it because Kyungsoo is reciprocating ( _!!!_ ) by nuzzling his face into Chanyeol's chest. This side of Kyungsoo is so darn rare (in the office) and _so darn cute_. And Chanyeol strongly resists the urge to sweep his husband off to somewhere— _anywhere_ —right now.

 

It's hard to keep the sudden bout of lust that simmers within him out of his tone, but Chanyeol thinks he's done well with his not-really-husky whisper of _good to see you, dear_. He pulls away slightly to dip his head down to give Kyungsoo a peck on the cheek. Chanyeol's lips are still hovering above Kyungsoo's cheek when he decides that one peck isn’t enough. So, Chanyeol goes back for another. And he would have gone back for _another_ (because Chanyeol’s _insatiable_ when it comes to kissing Kyungsoo) if not for the gagging noises that erupt from behind him.

 

"Get a room, you two," Joohyun says as she stands up, her blue highlighter tucked on an ear. She’s frowning, arms folded across her chest but Chanyeol sees the familiar glint of mischief in her eyes.

 

“The meeting room’s empty until two-thirty.”

 

As shocking as it sounds, it's not the first time Joohyun has suggested such a… _thing_. The first time was when she came down to Chanyeol's floor to hand Bogum something he had forgotten and witnessed the _intense liplock_ ( _“Our lips weren't even touching!”_ ) between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo in the pantry. Joohyun giggled, jerked her thumb in the direction of the handicap toilet, and said, _“There's a handicap washroom for a reason, guys.”_ The second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and so on happened similarly. The most recent incident, which occurred only last week, was when Chanyeol and Kyungsoo barged into a _supposedly empty_ meeting room only to have to immediately cover each other's mouths to prevent themselves from fucking screaming at the sight of a half-undressed Joohyun sitting atop of Bogum. The unexpected sight (and Joohyun's bark of _get another room!_ ) traumatised and scarred Chanyeol for life. And as though the psychological harm wasn't enough, he even got himself an excruciatingly painful whack on the arm from Kyungsoo for choosing that meeting room in the first place.

 

It’s safe to say that Chanyeol's conditioned. After all these years of receiving such... _helpful information_ , he’s gotten used to this mischievous side of Kyungsoo’s colleague. So, it's no surprise that at Joohyun’s insinuation, disgust doesn’t find its way to Chanyeol. Instead, his lips are slowly widening into a smile, eyes rounding, as glee and anticipation wash over him.

 

While both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo aren't exactly _adventurous_ , they do still enjoy the occasional thrill of making out in public places; naughty hands travelling to certain body parts in crowded spaces, and itchy fingers _performing_ when they’re (at least 95%) sure that no one is looking.

 

 

(The boldest _adventure_ they’ve had was Kyungsoo stroking Chanyeol, under a jacket strategically placed over his groin, to completion in a mostly-empty public bus. Although they sat at the back of the bus, Chanyeol was pretty sure that the bus driver _knew_ —if the stink eye that he had received through the rear-view mirror when they were alighting is any indication.)

 

 

Chanyeol, frankly, wants to try. The thought of doing the _deed_ in the company building has always excited him, and despite having worked in the same company for years now, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo have never once fucked in their company building. And so, Chanyeol turns to Kyungsoo, mouth opening and about to say something along the lines of _let’s do it Soo_ when his hopes are mercilessly shattered in the next instant.

 

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Kyungsoo deadpans. “I’d rather not be fired, plus I have to get out of here for a meeting with a client in thirty-five minutes.” Then, he turns to Chanyeol, lifts the lunchbox in his hand. “Here's your spaghetti. Better have it before your lunch hour is up.”

 

“We're not... having lunch together?”

 

“The meeting,” Kyungsoo replies simply. “There’s not going to be enough time so… I'm afraid I can't.” An apologetic frown forms on his face. “Sorry, Yeol.”

 

“Oh.”

 

There have been plenty of other times like this in the past, either Chanyeol or Kyungsoo being unable to lunch with the other due to work and whatnot, so it’s not the first time that Chanyeol has experienced the disappointment that comes with Kyungsoo’s rejection. But, it still isn’t easy to be let down. Yet, Chanyeol doesn’t allow himself to wallow, for he has noticed the guilt defining his husband’s features and his heart wrenches a little. He quickly says, “But, it's– It's alright! I'll go back down and see if Dae is done with lunch. I'll join him if he's not. No worries, Soo.”

 

“I'm really sorry,” says Kyungsoo, his tone apologetic. He places a hand on Chanyeol’s arm, fingers pressing onto fabric and flesh; Chanyeol feels his husband’s sincerity. “I'll make it up to you with dinner later, alright?” Then, Kyungsoo tiptoes and edges his mouth at Chanyeol’s ear.

 

“I promise that dinner will be amazing, okay, _sweetheart_?”

 

At the endearment, Chanyeol sharply inhales, surprised. While Kyungsoo isn’t all that opposed to murmuring or whispering his pet names for Chanyeol in public or behind closed doors, he’s rather against saying them while at work. ( _“We have to be professional while at work, Yeol.”_ ; Chanyeol just rolled his eyes but agreed anyway.)

 

“What did you just…” whispers Chanyeol, his facial expression defined by half-disbelief, half-fondness.

 

Kyungsoo chuckles. “Stop looking like a deer in headlights,” he says, hands placing both lunchboxes into Chanyeol’s hands. “You’re making me break my no-endearments-at-work rule.” And Kyungsoo lightly pinches the back of one of Chanyeol’s hands.

 

“I– I can’t help–”

 

"Oh my god, stop it, both of you," interrupts Joohyun as she walks out of her cubicle to stand next to Kyungsoo. She's apparently abandoned her document, and instead of that blue highlighter, there's a purse in her hands now. There's also an unimpressed expression on her face (and it's eerily like Kyungsoo's). "I didn't stay behind to be stuffed in the face with your gross displays of affection. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go for lunch now."

 

"While you're at it, save your husband from his colleagues! Their bad dad jokes are killing him!" Kyungsoo hollers after her, a small, knowing smile on his face when Joohyun waves a hand in an acknowledgement without looking back.

 

“How bad were Bogum’s colleagues’ jokes?” Chanyeol curiously asks.

 

“They make Baekhyun’s jokes sound hilarious.”

 

Chanyeol immediately winces. “Ouch, that’s _really_ bad.”

 

Kyungsoo nods and hums in agreement. Then, he suddenly pulls Chanyeol towards the lift lobby. “You should go back down and have lunch with Jongdae. He shouldn’t be done yet, not with all those beansprouts his wife stuffed in his soup.”

 

“You have your lunch, too, before leaving for the meeting,” says Chanyeol. “You can’t skip lunch, understood?”

 

“Yes, yes, I will.” Kyungsoo nods while pressing on the ‘down’ button for the lifts. He then takes his own lunchbox from Chanyeol, opening the lid to check if it’s his by smelling it. “This one’s mine, I think.”

 

Since both of his husband’s hands are occupied, Chanyeol helps to clear the confusion by pinching a small strand of spaghetti from the lunchbox and dangles it in front of Kyungsoo’s mouth. “Here, try it.”

 

Kyungsoo obediently opens his mouth, and Chanyeol attempts to gracefully drop the short strand inside without dirtying the corners of his husband's lips. At Kyungsoo's bright expression, Chanyeol knows that they've got the right lunchbox this time. He then looks at his fingers and, out of reflex, about to bring them to his mouth to lick them clean when Kyungsoo stops him.

 

“You’re going to be crying in the next second if you lick the sauce off,” chides Kyungsoo, lightly. He quickly replaces the lid on the lunchbox and locks it with a _clack clack clack_. And then, before Chanyeol can register anything, his hand is being gently gripped, and he sees those sauced fingers of his entering Kyungsoo’s mouth.

 

_Oh my god._

 

Chanyeol feels his fingers being pulled deeper into Kyungsoo’s mouth with each suckle, as though Kyungsoo finds them delicious, wants more of them into his mouth. He also feels Kyungsoo’s tongue swirling around them, its tip flicking at the tips of Chanyeol’s fingers, and Chanyeol can’t help but liken it to when his husband gives head. And boy does Kyungsoo give the most amazing and mind-blowing blowjobs.

 

Amidst his Very Inappropriate thoughts, Chanyeol soon feels coolness on his fingers as Kyungsoo slides them out from his mouth with a soft _pop_. His fingers are clean, with a thin sheen of saliva over where they have been in contact with Kyungsoo’s lips and tongue. He’s staring at them, but in the next moment, Chanyeol is distracted by something else.

 

Kyungsoo is licking his lips while looking up at Chanyeol with those beautiful, seemingly innocent, eyes of his.

 

Blood begins to flow— _rush_ —down south for Chanyeol as a whine escapes him. “You– You’re evil, Soo! Evil!”

 

Kyungsoo laughs. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was being nice by cleaning your fingers for you." A neatly-pressed handkerchief suddenly appears, and Chanyeol gapes as Kyungsoo wipes his fingers dry. His mouth is opened, but no words are coming out.

 

There is absolutely nothing to worry about, though. Park Chanyeol being rendered speechless by his husband, Do Kyungsoo, is a Very Common thing.

 

A _ding_ rings out, signalling the arrival of a lift.

 

“Lift’s here,” says Kyungsoo. He gently guides his speechless husband into it, presses his floor button for him. “Have a good lunch with Jongdae, Yeol!” And then, before leaving the lift, Kyungsoo surges up to kiss Chanyeol squarely on the lips.

 

 

(Chanyeol finishes his non-spicy spaghetti [and several strands of Jongdae's bean sprouts] with an extremely befuddled mind, confused about what happened at the lift lobby. And Jongdae is one unhelpful colleague, who's only interested in piling more than _several strands_ of his beansprouts onto Chanyeol’s spaghetti.

 

Chanyeol only faintly remembers when he checks his phone after, immediately smiling fondly, then squealing silently into his hands, and frantically try to calm himself down enough to save the photo without accidentally deleting it.

 

A photo which Kyungsoo sent of him posing with his empty lunchbox. The heart-shaped smile on his face is utterly beautiful. Even if the corners of his lips are dirtied with sauce.

 

[That rare photo ends up being Chanyeol’s phone wallpaper for the week because _oh my gosh my husband is soooooooooo cute!_ ])

 

 

\---

 

 

_Chanyeol feels the jitters._

_He feels as though his body isn't his. His hands aren't supposed to be trembling. His body isn't supposed to be tingling all over. His lips aren't supposed to be trying to reach his eyes._

_His heart isn't supposed to feel as though it's about to burst out of his chest._

_Chanyeol isn't supposed to feel this... happy._

_"It's only a study session," Chanyeol says to himself. He shakily places a hand over his heart, wincing when he feels how_ insane _the rate his heart is beating at. "It's only a study session for god's sake so, Park Chanyeol, calm the fuck down."_

_The breathing exercise that he attempts after is futile. Chanyeol still feels as though he's about to implode._

_Just then, his phone vibrates. And in that moment of distraction, Chanyeol's lips finally reach their destination._

_**Kyungsoo:** I'm 1 stop away! So, until I reach, please think of lunch options! _

_Chanyeol doesn't need to think. He has already gotten his answer since he plucked up the courage and asked Kyungsoo's best friend. Yixing's response confirmed Chanyeol's long-time suspicion: Japanese cuisine._

_And so, he searched. From the day Chanyeol was asked by Kyungsoo if he wanted to join the study session Baekhyun organised, he searched. Chanyeol went online to find famous and delicious Japanese joints, narrowing choices down to the ones within the vicinity of the public library that they would be studying at. And he narrows them down, even more, judging them on affordability (because broke university students are_ broke _university students) until he’s got The One._

_There was a crisis, though. Just a day before—which was fucking_ last night _—the study session's organiser and his two boyfriends decided to drop out. Chanyeol did not, not even for a second, believe that all three of them got the flu. On the same day and at the same time. What are the chances? What are the fucking odds?_

 

_( **Baekhyun:** we have now learnt our lesson and will not exchange saliva that many times throughout the day_

_**Yixing:** hyunnie’s right_

_**Sehun:** whatever they said_

_**Kyungsoo:** … Chanyeol, we’ll still meet up. But at least now we’re not studying with idiots.)_

_( **Chanyeol:** what the hell oh sehun_

_**Sehun:** it was xing’s idea_

_**Chanyeol:** dont go blaming others_

_**Sehun:** i’m not joking it was really xing’s idea_

_**Chanyeol:** and why would he suggest such a thing???? _

_**Sehun:** for reasons i can’t tell you_

_**Sehun:** have fun uwu_

_**Chanyeol:** … you are not my best friend anymore_

_**Sehun:** we are bffs forever you are stuck with me + you will thank us soon enough yeollie hehe)_

 

_Ugh. Whatever. At least Kyungsoo didn’t cancel. But, now, Chanyeol’s facing another crisis: he’d be with Kyungsoo. One on one. Without the presence of another. For the very first time._

_Chanyeol’s really, really,_ really _about to implode._

_Fortunately, he doesn’t get the chance to. For Kyungsoo’s walking towards him and—_ oh my god just kill me _—his cheekbones are slightly round, chubby, and his eyes are fat crescents because he's smiling. Kyungsoo has an absolutely beautiful smile on his equally handsome face. Chanyeol's hands jerk and he quickly shoves them into the back pockets of his jeans, fingers curling into the fabric. He is not going to entertain (dumb) thoughts of wanting to gently pinch the cheeks of an adorable Kyungsoo._

_"Hey," greets Kyungsoo. "Sorry, I'm late. I spent some time trying to find my jacket, but I couldn't find it." An apologetic expression replaces the smile on his face. "Sorry, Chanyeol."_

_Chanyeol forces his hands deeper into his pockets because he very much wants to tug, gently, of course, the corners of Kyungsoo's lips back up into that good-looking smile (which he_ obviously _doesn’t do). He does, however, blurt out, “I brought one. You can have it later when you’re cold.”_

_(In hindsight, Chanyeol thinks he was pretty cool for saying something like that. And without stuttering, too. Hah.)_

_The attractive smile returns to Kyungsoo's face. "That's nice of you. Thanks, Chanyeol."_

_“Y-You’re welcome,” mumbles Chanyeol, head dropping a little to prevent Kyungsoo from seeing his face because he’s pretty sure that it’s horribly red. Though, he still hopes that it isn’t. After taking a silent, deep breath, Chanyeol lifts his head as a smile forms. He jerks a thumb towards the exit of the subway station. “Shall we head off for lunch now?”_

_Kyungsoo nods, still smiling. He gestures for Chanyeol to lead the way. “What’s for lunch?”_

_The high-load task of formulating an answer for Kyungsoo’s question (while Chanyeol desperately also tries not to blurt out_ uh I got from Yixing that you like Japanese cuisine so I went to search for restaurants around the library _because that would be just embarrassing and all) fully occupies Chanyeol's mind. And he would have walked into a pillar if not a hand that suddenly curls around his forearm and Chanyeol finds himself being sharply pulled to the left. The tiled pillar barely scrapes his elbow._

_“Chanyeol…”_

_Chanyeol can’t decide which he likes better. The fact that Kyungsoo is saying his name (in a concerned tone!!), or that he’s saying it in that warm, mellow, soothing baritone which Chanyeol has come to love. Unable to give either up, he decides that he likes both. Chanyeol also decides that he likes how Kyungsoo’s hand is still grabbing onto his forearm, the warmth seeping from his palm into Chanyeol’s skin. Chanyeol’s face starts burning again._

_"Sorry," apologises Chanyeol. He tries hard not to smile in spite of the seemingly-chiding look Kyungsoo is shooting him; those caterpillar brows of his are so cutely furrowed, Chanyeol wants to trace them with his finger. He doesn't, of course. "I was, uh, trying to remember how to get to the Japanese joint."_

_Surprise immediately washes over Kyungsoo’s face. “Japanese?”_

_Caught without an appropriate answer, Chanyeol just smiles and nods. He notices that they’ve stopped walking and are blocking a little of the path leading to the exit. Chanyeol smiles apologetically at the next person who brushes past him and begins to walk again. There’s resistance at first, but in the next moment it vanishes along with Kyungsoo’s hand that was on Chanyeol’s forearm. Chanyeol mentally laments the loss._

_"I hope they have soba and tempura," says Kyungsoo, and Chanyeol hears the anticipation in his words. He glances sideways, only to realise that he has to drop his eyes a little to be able to see Kyungsoo (not because Kyungsoo's short but Chanyeol's just… too tall). Chanyeol hasn't had many chances to walk next to Kyungsoo since they usually hang out with The Boyfriends, and Kyungsoo always sticks to Yixing while Chanyeol is beside Sehun. So he is rather unaccustomed to be next to Kyungsoo, to be feeling the familiar warmth that emanates from him, to be hearing his voice from such a close proximity, to be matching footsteps with him._

_To be within Kyungsoo’s grasp._

_“Chanyeol…”_

_Again, Kyungsoo is saying his name in that concerned tone. And, again, he’s also holding onto Chanyeol’s arm. And,_ again _, Chanyeol almost walked into a pillar. Utterly embarrassed, he feels the strong urge to run away and hide and not be subjected to Kyungsoo’s judgement because_ goddammit Park Chanyeol you had one job and you chose to make a fool of yourself in front of your crush how smart of you _. Chanyeol wants to die._

_Kyungsoo sighs. “What do I do with you…”_

_"Sorry," Chanyeol meekly says, bowing his head in apology as he discreetly looks at Kyungsoo. Confusion immediately washes over him. Kyungsoo's features aren't stern, aren't defined by anger. Yet, they also aren't cheery, aren't arranged to reflect happiness. In fact, Chanyeol doesn't know what Kyungsoo feels because he can't decipher the seemingly blank expression on his face. But he's not one to give up, to surrender without trying his hardest. With his head still bowed, Chanyeol's eyes dart around Kyungsoo's face, searching for a hint of emotion._

_He finds what he’s looking for in a place he loves._

_Kyungsoo's eyes have always attracted Chanyeol. Right from the first time they met as strangers at the takoyaki stall, to each time they hung out (with The Boyfriends), Chanyeol's gaze has always gravitated to Kyungsoo, and he would always find himself gazing at those big, round, beautiful eyes (and by default, Kyungsoo). Chanyeol thinks that he would never tire of them, of looking at them and of willingly falling into the depths of Kyungsoo's soul because that's what they always say, right?_

_That eyes are windows to souls._

_This time is no exception. The instant Chanyeol looks at Kyungsoo's eyes, he's captivated. He's so magnetised by those beautiful, soulful orbs that Chanyeol almost forgets that he's supposed to be searching for something. Reluctantly, he pulls himself out of Kyungsoo's eyes to just see them, to look and identify the hint of emotion that he has found._

_While the rest of Kyungsoo's face is impassive, his eyes aren't. Well, not to the point of_ sparkling _or just positively_ twinkling with emotion _(because if there's one thing Chanyeol has come to know about Kyungsoo is that he is adept at hiding his feelings), but the emotion shines through_ enough _for Chanyeol to be able to detect it._

_Yet, detect it he can’t. The look in Kyungsoo’s eyes is soft, gentle, and that can mean so many positive emotions. Even if Chanyeol narrows down his choices to a select few, he won’t be able to choose. He doesn’t want to assume, doesn’t_ dare _to think. Chanyeol doesn't want to end up with an incorrect guess that might backfire on him. Not when he knows that he has feelings for Kyungsoo, and every little thing he does comes across as_ something _to Chanyeol._

_And especially not when he’s thinking of the emotion in Kyungsoo’s eyes to be that of fondness._

_Soft, gentle,_ fond _._

_Chanyeol’s assumption shoots through his mind only for a moment, for a split second before it disappears. He refuses to entertain it, refuses to assume. Instead, Chanyeol just gestures for them to walk, forces a smile onto his face. “It’s getting late, let’s quickly… go.”_

_The assumption may have vanished, but the image of Kyungsoo’s eyes in that very moment remains etched in Chanyeol’s mind._

 

 

\---

 

 

“I feel like I’m in university again.”

 

Chanyeol shuts his eyes and drops his head, letting it land with an unexpectedly loud _thump_ on the (thick) stack of papers in front of him. The impact has Chanyeol cursing under his breath because it feels as though his brain just moved in his skull. Expectedly, his forehead hurts but Chanyeol doesn’t rub it, far too exhausted (both physically and mentally) to bother. Besides, _someone_ will do it for him.

 

That _someone_ comes soon enough, a soft sigh coming from his left informing Chanyeol of an approaching hand and he turns his head to expose his forehead. A knowing smile forms on his face, only to change into that of a frown when pain abruptly erupts across his forehead.

 

“W-Wha–” Chanyeol splutters, eyes flying open as he instantly straightens himself while rubbing at his forehead. “Whyyyyyyyyyy!” He purposely drags his whine, only to stop when a hand dangerously appears near his head. In his attempt to shift out of Kyungsoo’s range, Chanyeol inadvertently falls off his chair, his (non-existent) ass hitting the floor. It doesn’t hurt, not really, but Chanyeol makes it look like it does (as always). “Owwwwwwwwww!”

 

The unimpressed look on Kyungsoo's face effectively shuts Chanyeol up. Nursing a "hurt" heart, he drags himself towards a leg of the dining table, making the movement more pitiful than it looks by using only his elbows. It's hard since Chanyeol doesn't move his legs, but thankfully he's been gymming, and his arms are pretty strong (if he does say so himself, hah). Chanyeol circles his arms around the piece of wood, leans his head on it, smushes his cheek against it. "Humph, since _someone_ doesn’t care about me, I’m just gonna rest here until the end of my life…”

 

Tilting his head up a little, Chanyeol discreetly looks at his husband, seeing how Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and mouths something like _drama king_. He’s miffed. “Fine,” Chanyeol huffs, bringing his long legs towards him and circling them around the table leg when he sees Kyungsoo move. His husband drops to the floor and squats at the spot in front of him; Chanyeol pointedly ignores it. “Since _someone_ doesn’t want to care about his _husband_ , the husband is going to–”

 

Chanyeol’s lips meet with an ever-familiar warmth.

 

Seconds later, Kyungsoo is the one who pulls away. Chanyeol instantly whines, and he whines _louder_ when he feels his husband about to move away. He doesn’t allow Kyungsoo to go far, a hand quickly sliding up Kyungsoo’s back, fingers curling around Kyungsoo’s neck to keep his head in place. The result is a distance barely enough to place a finger between their lips. Chanyeol still feels Kyungsoo’s breaths peppering his lips. Satisfied, he smiles.

 

If Kyungsoo minds how Chanyeol has his head trapped, he doesn’t mention it. He does, however, express his displeasure for another matter. “If I don't _care_ , I wouldn’t be spending such a beautiful day _indoors_ with you,” says Kyungsoo, tone mock-scathing. “Might I remind you that I had a lunch appointment with Xing, which I had to _decline_ because I wanted to accompany _someone_ who is accusing me of being uncaring.”

 

Chanyeol smiles sheepishly. In an apology, he kisses his husband before parting with a seemingly innocent lick of Kyungsoo's lips; the glint in Chanyeol's eyes say otherwise.

 

Sadly, Kyungsoo doesn't accede to Chanyeol's non-verbal request. "Release me this instant and get back to your papers," he says, sternly. Kyungsoo tries to pull away from Chanyeol, and he manages to slightly increase the distance between their faces. "You do know that you've only studied for two hours, right?"

 

Chanyeol sees how unimpressed Kyungsoo looks, hears the warning in Kyungsoo's words, and he seriously thinks about following. Yet, this seems to be an excellent opportunity. An excellent opportunity to carry out one of his favourite pastimes: teasing his husband. It's too good, way too good to let up. And so, Chanyeol decides to do just that (even though the warning alarm in his mind is BLARING).

 

“I don’t wanna.” Chanyeol reluctantly removes his hand from Kyungsoo’s neck, letting the tips of his fingers linger at the juncture between his husband’s neck and shoulder for a second before resting it on his lap. “I don’t want to listen to you. Humph!” He brings both arms up to his chest, folds them. Chanyeol slaps on a pout.

 

Silence descends upon them as Chanyeol stares at Kyungsoo, his defensive stance not relenting while Kyungsoo continues to look stoic. The silence isn't uncomfortable, not really. Having known Kyungsoo for ten years (and married for six), Chanyeol has had his fair share of silence with Kyungsoo. And silence with Kyungsoo isn't all that different from silence with anyone else. The surroundings would go quiet, and the persons in the space would do what they're supposed to do. And Chanyeol would do just that. Yet, at the same time, he would also be doing something that the others sharing the same space would never know.

 

Chanyeol would be soothing himself.

 

He discovered that he could, possibly, never be honestly at ease in silence. The quietness in total silence is deafening, uncomfortable, and puts him on edge. Chanyeol would find himself deviating from the task at hand, attention forcefully pulled towards the silence that seemed to be engulfing him, enveloping him, and swallowing him whole. Fortunately (or unfortunately), his anxiety doesn't appear outwardly. The anxiety only surfaces within Chanyeol himself, and that is why most people do not know of his unease in silence.

 

And that is also the reason why Chanyeol had been so, so, _so_ surprised when one day Kyungsoo voiced out—softly, gently, carefully, in his _Kyungsoo_ way—if there was anything he could do to make Chanyeol feel a little, if not more, at ease in silence.

 

Kyungsoo had noticed. He had _seen_. He’d been observing Chanyeol, watching him and taking in all the tiny, minute things that Chanyeol would unconsciously commit in silence. And when Kyungsoo (rather embarrassedly) mumbled-confessed all of that, Chanyeol was floored. So shocked, he even fell off the library chair, landing on the parquet flooring of the public library with a loud, painful _thud_.

 

But Chanyeol, of course, had no solution to Kyungsoo’s question. Yet, Kyungsoo— _bless his beautiful, beautiful soul_ —took it upon himself to search for answers to his own question. The methods were by no means scientifically proven (since Kyungsoo admitted that he googled for them), but Chanyeol found solace in Kyungsoo’s warmth as they sit side by side each time. He was also soothed by the contact of his elbow with Kyungsoo’s, his knee with Kyungsoo’s, his toes with Kyungsoo’s lap (if Kyungsoo was in a good mood to indulge Chanyeol’s timid request to do so). Most prominently, he was truly at ease whenever Kyungsoo smiled at him. It was a form of assurance that Chanyeol didn’t think of, but if it meant receiving more of Kyungsoo’s good-looking smiles, being in silence (with Kyungsoo) might not be a bad thing after all.

 

The unease that suddenly washes over him instantly evaporates when Chanyeol sees the way Kyungsoo’s lips slowly spread into a smile. The silence between them suddenly becomes way more comfortable, and Chanyeol can’t help but drop the pretence and let himself relax. He happily accepts the hand Kyungsoo extends towards him, fingers grabbing onto fingers. Holding hands isn’t enough for Chanyeol. He tugs at Kyungsoo’s hand, sends his husband a knowing grin and a slow, salacious lick across his upper lip.

 

Kyungsoo laughs, the sound immediately brightening the atmosphere and Chanyeol feels a laughter of his own bubbling up within him. “I don’t know why I put up with you,” Kyungsoo says, shaking his head.

 

“Because you love me.” is Chanyeol’s instant reply. And it’s true. Chanyeol firmly believes that it’s true. For in his eyes, in his field of vision, all Chanyeol sees is the fondness so visible, so crystal clear on Kyungsoo’s face. It paints his husband’s full, round cheeks a pretty pink; it pulls the corners of his plump, delicious lips upwards to form a beautiful smile; and, it fills his beautiful, soulful eyes to the brim with all the love love _love_ that he has for Chanyeol.

 

And Chanyeol, too, loves loves _loves_ Kyungsoo so fucking much (that it sometimes hurts—or most of the time, frankly).

 

He then repeats himself, uncertain if he’s saying it to Kyungsoo or to himself as a form of reminder. To remind himself that he’s being loved, _wholeheartedly_ loved by someone.

 

“Because you love me, Soo.”

 

Silence. Then, a beat later–

“Tell you what,” Kyungsoo says, softly. He breaks the eye contact he has with his husband, missing the way Chanyeol immediately pouts only to smile a split second later when Kyungsoo pulls their interlaced hands over to his lap and begins to fiddle with the precious piece of silver on Chanyeol’s ring finger. “If you study until dinnertime, I’ll cook udon and tempura.”

 

“And soba!” Chanyeol pipes up, excited. “Because my sweetheart loooooooooves soba!” Then, an afterthought. “And me, too, of course.”

 

The soft chuckle from Kyungsoo sends Chanyeol’s heart fluttering. “Soba, yes. And, of course, my husband too.”

 

Chanyeol can’t help the ginormous grin that forms, its sheer size threatening to split his face. Heck, his cheeks are already beginning to ache, and he feels like he’s about to go into cardiac arrest because _ugh ugh ugh my kokoro_. (Damn Kyungsoo and his– his– _his Kyungsoo ways y’know what I mean_.)

 

“Deal!” Chanyeol exclaims. “Deal, deal, deal, deal, _deal_!” And he brings their still-interlaced hands up into the air, gently arranging them to that of a pinky promise position before pressing his thumb pad against Kyungsoo's. There, the deal is sealed.

 

“Deal,” Kyungsoo reiterates, smiling sweetly.

 

Chanyeol's heart wrenches (in a good way). He finds his eyes fixed on his husband's lips, and he doesn't register himself surging forward, doesn't know that Kyungsoo himself is leaning forward, doesn't realise that his eyes have fluttered shut until he feels a familiar warmth on his lips. Chanyeol smiles.

 

 

\---

 

 

_“Why have a phone when you’re not going to answer calls!?”_

_“Tell me about it.”_

_"I'm going to destroy Oh Sehun's phone when I see it," Chanyeol growls through gritted teeth. Frustration washes over him when the busy tone comes through for the tenth time, and Chanyeol huffily removes his phone from his ear. In that split second of extreme annoyance, he thinks about throwing his phone onto the ground. And, as if the world really does hate Chanyeol, the phone slips out of his hand. Thankfully, a hand shoots out of nowhere and saves it (along with ten years of Chanyeol's life)._

_“The phone is innocent, Chanyeol,” says Kyungsoo. He places it in Chanyeol’s hand. “Don’t take your anger out on it.”_

_Chanyeol feels wronged. He reflexively blows a soft raspberry, pouts, and–_

_“I didn’t mean to… It just– just slipped out of my hand...”_

_–whines before he can stop himself. A heartbeat later, Chanyeol stiffens, belatedly realising that he’s gone and done something he’s never done before in front of Kyungsoo. He timidly glances at Kyungsoo, expecting a chiding expression to appear on Kyungsoo’s face as it always does whenever The Boyfriends do something to get on his nerves. Surprisingly, it never appears._

_Instead, the expression on Kyungsoo’s face is unreadable, and Chanyeol, convinced that Kyungsoo is secretly fuming on the inside, is about to (drop to his knees and) apologise for his abrupt (mis)behaviour, when Kyungsoo suddenly tiptoe and extends a hand up to Chanyeol’s head. Then, he ruffles Chanyeol’s hair._

_Chanyeol barely manages_ not _to let his jaw drop. (It falls a little, just a tiny bit.)_

_"There there," Kyungsoo says, voice so soft that if Chanyeol weren't standing a foot away, he wouldn't have heard him over the hustle and bustle of the crocodile exhibit. "No harm was done since I saved your phone. Anyway, both Xing and Baekhyun didn't pick up my calls, so I suppose let's just go on without them." Then, Kyungsoo mutters, "Wait till I get my hands on them."_

_The hardness in Kyungsoo’s tone prompts Chanyeol to pretend that he didn’t hear that last bit, not wanting to be caught up in whatever Kyungsoo is planning for The Boyfriends. He has no pity for his friends, absolutely none. Not when they’re the reason he’s now left alone with Kyungsoo. Just him and Kyungsoo for the rest of the afternoon. Just the two of them (versus the ~~world~~ zoo). Chanyeol feels like hyperventilating._

_He doesn’t, of course. He chooses to whip out the map of the zoo instead, eyes darting all over to decide where to go. Chanyeol is seeing, yet also unseeing as he feels Kyungsoo sidle up next to him, his familiar warmth emanating from his body. The urge to hyperventilate surfaces again._

_“Which animal should we head for first?” asks Kyungsoo. He edges himself closer to Chanyeol to get a better look at the map, unaware of what the proximity is doing to Chanyeol. “Penguins? Giraffes? I’d like to see them… Oh!” Kyungsoo suddenly cries out. “Foxes! We should go see foxes!” He jabs a finger at the fox exhibit. “I remember Sehun mentioning how you like foxes! And, look, there’s a feeding session soon!”_

_Thoroughly taken aback by Kyungsoo’s sudden outburst of enthusiasm, a frozen Chanyeol doesn’t respond. He doesn’t register the time of the foxes’ feeding session that Kyungsoo is pointing at, doesn’t see how Kyungsoo doesn’t realise that he isn’t getting any response and is pretty much talking to himself as he plans which other exhibits to head to after the foxes. Chanyeol doesn’t inasmuch sense anything anymore because his mind is in overdrive, way too busy in trying to process what the heck just happened._

 

Kyungsoo… remembers which animal I like…? He was paying attention…? _In his head, Chanyeol wonders aloud, his confusion creating a bunch of questions. Questions that he has no answers for._

_“Chanyeol?”_

_At Kyungsoo’s voice, Chanyeol immediately snaps out of his daze, body unfreezing itself. He sees Kyungsoo looking up (adorably) at him, his large, round eyes swirling with concern. Chanyeol wants to hit himself for causing Kyungsoo to worry._

_A sheepish grin spreads across Chanyeol’s face. “Sorry, was, uh, thinking. What were you saying?”_

_Again, the chiding expression that Chanyeol expects to form on Kyungsoo's face doesn't appear, and in his surprise, Chanyeol almost misses the way Kyungsoo's face softens. A small heart appears where Kyungsoo's lips are. "Come on, let's go. I'll tell you along the way."_

_And then, Chanyeol tries his_ hard _est not to hyperventilate (or scream) when Kyungsoo grabs his hand and pulls him forward._

 

 

\---

 

 

“No.”

 

“Please!”

 

“No.”

 

“Please! Please please pleaseeeeeeee!”

 

“No, Yeol, we are _not_ getting a Zootopia bedsheet.”

 

Chanyeol knows when he’s losing or when he’s lost, but this is one of those times where he _cannot_ lose. He can’t. He really, really, _really can’t_ lose to Kyungsoo this time. Not when there is a Zootopia bedsheet at stake.

 

A Judy and _Nick_ bedsheet at stake. (Who the fuck cares for anyone else in Zootopia besides them?)

 

 

(Okay, maybe Chanyeol kind of likes Gazelle, too, because _try everythinggggggg!_ )

 

 

"But, Soo!" Chanyeol whines loudly as he petulantly stomps his feet, fists clenched at his sides. He forgets his surroundings, forgets that he's currently in a public place, forgets that he's standing (with his husband) in the bedding section of a departmental store. Chanyeol's mind is fully fixated on the bedsheet that is in grave danger of being returned to the shelves. "It's Nick and Judy! Nick the fox and Judy the rabbit! Okay so maybe Judy isn't all that important, but it's Nick! How can you say no to a fox, baby?"

 

“If I recall correctly, my favourite animal isn’t a fox,” Kyungsoo deadpans. “My favourite animal happens to be a giraffe and, would you look at that, there’s no giraffe on the bedsheet so no, we’re not getting it.” He makes a move to retrieve it from the trolley, only to be stopped mid-way by Chanyeol who wrenches both their hands away from the item. In his haste, Chanyeol causes Kyungsoo’s wrist to scrape against the side of the trolley and Kyungsoo instantly hisses in pain.

 

Panic washes over and floods Chanyeol, and for a split second, he doesn't know what to do except to helplessly watch Kyungsoo wrest his hand out of Chanyeol's before pressing the abrasion to his lips. When Chanyeol finally gets his bearings and lifts his eyes to look at his husband, the amount of disbelief and bewilderment that is brimming in Kyungsoo's eyes takes him aback. The hand that Chanyeol raises to rest on Kyungsoo's arm drops back down to his side and fingers immediately find purchase in the fabric of Chanyeol's jeans.

 

Not in the least bit assured that he won’t further fuck things up with his perpetually-faulty brain-to-mouth filter, Chanyeol keeps his words to himself, choosing to only whimper softly, “Soo…”

 

Kyungsoo doesn't respond. He still has his wrist pressed to his lips, still has his eyes staring at Chanyeol's. The disbelief and bewilderment that continues to reside within pierces through Chanyeol, stabs him at his heart. It hurts. It hurts a lot because while Chanyeol knows that marriages aren't always sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns, his and Kyungsoo's has mostly been in that part of the spectrum. This end of the spectrum, this _other end_ is a part their marriage rarely ventures to.

 

And that is why Chanyeol absolutely doesn’t know what to do when Kyungsoo pushes the trolley and walks off without him.

 

His mind instantly goes blank. Chanyeol isn’t thinking of anything, can’t think of anything. He isn’t processing what just happened, _can't_ handle what just happened. His senses begin to shut down. Static buzzing gradually fills his ears, the sounds of the bedding section tuning out. Vignettes slowly converge in his field of vision, darkness seeping and obscuring his eyes.

 

The last thing he vaguely registers is wetness streaking down his face.

 

 

A voice awakens Chanyeol.

 

“Are you lost?”

 

A _familiar_ voice.

 

Chanyeol unconsciously lifts his head, eyes gingerly opening, only to snap shut a second later because the sudden brightness is _searing_. He does get them open moments later, blinking profusely as a barely audible _uh?_ slips past his lips. Chanyeol isn’t aware that the current state of his face isn’t at all presentable: his nose is as red as Rudolph’s and leaking badly; his eyes, too, are red, puffy and swollen, and still brimming with unshed tears; and there are an uncountable number of tear streaks on his face. (To summarise, Chanyeol looks ugly.)

 

The voice’s owner doesn’t seem to be taken aback by Chanyeol’s appearance though, for their voice continues to be steady, mellow. “Are you lost?” If any, there seems to be a tinge of amusement laced in their words this time.

 

Consciousness completely floods Chanyeol, and he finally returns to reality. His mind begins to whir, his senses restarting, and the first thing—or _person_ , actually—he sees is–

 

“S– Soo?”

 

Like before, Kyungsoo continues to be un-surprised by Chanyeol’s behaviour (and appearance). His voice remains stable, warm, and a tiny bit amused. “Do you want to go home?”

 

“Soo!” Chanyeol suddenly exclaims, hands coming together in a beg-for-mercy gesture. “I– I’m sorry! I’m so so so sorry for hurting you and making you angry!”

 

It is as though Chanyeol hasn’t heard any of Kyungsoo’s questions. Upon realising that his husband has returned and is now standing in front of him, bent forward with his small, adorable hands resting on his knees, Chanyeol immediately launches into a flurry of words. “I’m really, really, _really_ just so sorry about just now! I didn’t know what I was thinking and just grabbed your hand and– Ah! Is your wrist okay–”

 

“Chanyeol–”

 

“–is it still bleeding–”

 

“Yeol–”

 

“–does it still hurt– Oh god, it’s still bleeding a little–”

 

“ _Yeol_ –”

 

“–we should go get plasters because we ran out of them at home–”

 

“ _Chanyeol_ –”

 

“–and please don't be mad at Yeollie anymore because he doesn't want Soo to be angry, doesn't want Soo to not be happy, doesn't want Soo to not be smiling…" Chanyeol's voice gradually decreases in volume, and it tapers off to a brief silence. Then, he suddenly inhales noisily before quietly saying–

 

“Because Soo looks best when he’s happy and smiling.”

 

Chanyeol’s (seemingly incoherent [due to his faulty brain-to-mouth filter]) outburst is complete. He proceeds to breathe, mouth opening wide to silently gulp down mouthfuls of oxygen to appease his screaming lungs, his heaving chest. Chanyeol only resumes breathing through his nose when he feels as though his lungs aren’t about to give up on him. He then comes to his senses, and cautiously looks up at Kyungsoo; his hands continue to be in the beg-for-mercy gesture.

 

Kyungsoo's face is impassive and unreadable, and Chanyeol can't help but think that his husband may still be mad at him. Kyungsoo may not be, too, but Chanyeol isn't quick to presume that—this other end of the spectrum is still foreign to him; it would do Chanyeol no good to blindly assume. And this is where misunderstandings come in. Many acquaintances, friends, and even family of both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo have once believed that the two of them would have known their other halves exceptionally well by now. A decade spent with the other should have guaranteed that.

 

Alas, that is not the case. As Chanyeol would always _patiently_ refute, with an arm finding its place across Kyungsoo’s shoulders and gently pulling him into his side if his husband was there beside him, _“I still learn new things about Soo because he continues to surprise me every single day.”_

 

So, it isn’t wrong of Chanyeol to think of the worst. Kyungsoo’s surprises (or shocks) are never-ending. Plus, the feeling of being in an unknown range of the spectrum thoroughly keeps Chanyeol on edge. He reflexively curls into himself, hands parting from each other for his fingers to seek purchase in the fabric of his jeans. The denim, unfortunately, is too taut at his knees; Chanyeol rests his trembling fingers on his knees. He waits for Kyungsoo’s ultimatum.

 

It, unexpectedly, comes in the form of the same steady, mellow, and warm voice.

 

“Yeol, are you ready?”

 

“H-Huh?” Chanyeol intelligently blurts out before realising his mistake. He quickly corrects himself. “Ready for…?”

 

“To go home,” Kyungsoo says simply. “With me.”

 

Chanyeol thinks he heard Kyungsoo wrong. Is Kyungsoo no longer angry at him? “Home…? With you?” Is Kyungsoo _really_ no longer mad at him?

 

“Yes, with me,” Kyungsoo answers, the hint of amusement in his tone throwing Chanyeol off. “Unless you’re not ready to? Or, you don’t want–”

"No! I-I mean, yes! Y-Yes, I– I am!" Chanyeol stutters, his facial expressions flitting between that of bright and concerned due to his incoherence. "I– I do… want to go home with you. Don't– Don't leave me behind, Soo…" He tilts his head to look straight at Kyungsoo, eyes soft and fond. Chanyeol hopes that Kyungsoo is able to see his sincerity, his soul.

 

“Don’t leave me, ever.”

 

“I would never leave you.”

 

Kyungsoo's reply is instant, as though he already knew what Chanyeol would say and what answer he ought to have at ready. Or, maybe, those words always have been at the tip of Kyungsoo's tongue.

 

“Let’s go home, sweetheart.”

 

“Okay, love.”

 

 

(One evening, after Chanyeol greets Kyungsoo in the kitchen and barely manages to avoid one of his husband’s punches for—coughs— _misbehaving_ , he steps into their bedroom, and the first thing he sees is how uncharacteristically bright the bed is.

 

How _orange_ (and a hint of blue) it is.

 

And how a pair of half-lidded eyes seem to be staring back at him. A pair of eyes that belong to a particular fictional fox from a movie.

 

Silence. The sound of a workbag dropping to the floor. Then, Chanyeol screams.

 

A couple of minutes later, he—after having his fill of rolling around in the Zootopia bedding and fondly caressing the Nick and Judy pillows and staring (in utter awe) at the giant Nick print on the comforter—dashes to the kitchen and–

 

“Chanyeol! How many times do I have to remind you not to run in the kitchen!”

 

–almost charges straight into Kyungsoo who— _thank god_ —has already placed two bowls of rice onto the dining table. If Chanyeol had knocked into him and caused Kyungsoo to drop the food, there’s going to be hell. [And Chanyeol might just die.]

 

The furious expression on Kyungsoo’s face soon melts into that of an exasperated one when Chanyeol cups his husband’s face and leans down for a kiss. It’s chaste but deep, with Chanyeol reluctantly pulling away seconds later. From the way Kyungsoo’s cheeks are tinged with that pretty shade of pink, how he’s pointedly looking downwards instead of at his husband, how a tiny heart is where his lips are, Chanyeol knows that his message has been conveyed.

 

And the unsaid _thank you, I love you_ lingers in the air even as they finish dinner, wash up, and head to bed, their arms and lips and hearts finding each other without needing for words to be said.)

**Author's Note:**

> 4 months later and I'm still not done with this story i,i I'm sorry guys but y'all gonna have to wait a while for the next chapter. I'm in the midst of writing it but I'm also juggling my last (fucking finally!!) semester at uni and the assignments are Horrible.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed this though! Comments will be appreciated. Very.


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